Applying and securing machines for container closures



Dec. 13, 1927.

C. E. MARTIN APPLYING AND SECURING MACHINES FOR CONTAINER CLOSURES Filed Feb.14. 1927 7 Sheets- Sheet l AA ATTORNEY c. E. MARTIN APPLYING AND SECURING MACHINES FOR CONTAINER CLOSURES Filed Feb.l4. 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 2- mvzmon (fla r/es 5 1271-802 Dec. 13, 1921..

C. E.- MARTIN APPLYING AND'SECURING MACHINES FOR CONTAINER CLOSURES Filed Feb.14. 1927 T Sheets-Sheet 5 A15: ATTORNEY Dec. 13, 1927.

APPLY ING AND SECURING E. MARTIN GHINES FOR CONTAINER CLOSURES Filed Feb.l4. 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Ckar/eu flaw/i? M A'IZTORNEY' Dec. 13, 192 1,652,903

c. E. MARTIN APPLYING AND SECURING MACHINES FOR CONTAINER CLOSURES Filed Feb,l4, i927 7 Sheet'sheet e 7/9 VIHHH H HHIIIIMIIIN H\ BY M ATTORNEY c. E. MARTIN APPLYING AND SECURING MACHINES FOR CONTAINER CflOSURES File d Feb.l4'.

1827 Z Sheets-Sheet '7 AIS: ATTORNEY 3 Patented Dec. 13, 1927.

umrao stares teszsoa ATENT oFF o.

CHARLES E. MARTIN, 0F PAULSBORO, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO VACUUM OIL COM PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPLYING AND SECURING MACHINES non CONTAINER onosunns.

Application filed February 14, 1927. Serial No. 168,172.

The present invention relates to applying and securing machines for container closures and an object of the invention is to provide a machine which will make it possible to feed closures of irregular shape or form from bulk where they are indiscriminately arranged, to one or more registered positions from which they are moved by one or more expanding tools and secured by such expanding tool or tools to a container or containers. Another object of the invention is to provide 4 a novel means of feeding the irregularly shaped closures from a hopper so that they may travel from the hopper in which they are indiscriminately arranged to definite posit-ions. Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel means of positioning a closure between an applying and securing tool and the support on which the container rests so that the tool may move the closure from the positioning means to the container andsecure such closure thereto. A further object of the invention is to provide a novel means for operating the plunger of a closure expanding tool, such means being particularly adapted for use when a plurality of expanding tools are employed. Still another object of the invention is to provide a centering means interposed between a closure ex panding tool and the support for a container and adapted to cooperate with a portion of the container upon a relative movement between the expanding tool and the support, so that the container is centered on the sup port with reference to the expanding tool. A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel feeding means which will shift containers on a support substantially to a centered position wit-h reference to an expanding tool. Another and still further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction in which the containers as they pass to the support erTect the operation of the machine to move a container to substantially a centered position beneath a closure expanding tool to effect a relative movement between the container and the expanding tool in order-to cause the expandingtool to apply a closure to the container and effect the operation of the expanding tool to interlock the closure with the container.

To these and other ends, the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described: the novel features being pointed out inthe appended claims. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention, the upper part being broken away; Fig. 2 is a view of the oppositesides with the end portions of the feeding and discharge conveyors broken away;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the machine above the conveyor; V

'Fi 4t is an end View of'the machine showing t e discharge conveyor insectiony chine; I

Fig. 6 is an enlarged-fragmentary vertical section through the machine;

Fig. 7 is a plan View on a portion of the mechanism for feeding the seals or closures; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section through the closure expanding mechanism The present machine is designed for operating upon closures or seals of the type indicated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 of the drawings" where there is employeda cup shaped member 1 having a .surroundin turned flange 2. This closure 1s introduced into the nozzle 3 or filling spout of a container 4, the nozzle or filling spout having an inwardly turned flange 5, the flange 2 of the closure being brought into engagement with the outer face of the inwardly turned flange 5 and the body of the closure then being expanded at 6, below the'flange 5 in order to retain'the closure within the spout or filling nozzle ofthe container 4.

In the illustrated embodiment of theil lvention, the main frame of the machine embodies two uprights 7 and 8. These uprights are connected at their lower portions by angle ironpieces 9 on which a table or plate 10 is supported. The side pieces 7 and 8Iare also connected at intermediate portions by.

horizontal angle iron pieces 11, which support both the feeding and the discharge con- Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the mathe conoutwardly ceiving end and the discharge end of the machine. Preferably between these tie rods rollers 15 are arranged, the rollers being preferably mounted to turn on shafts 16 connecting with the side pieces 12.

Between the two conveyors and in the plane of the main portion of the frame of the machine is a support comprising in this instance a plurality of flat plates 17 with their fiat facesvertically arranged each .being parallel withthe other plates, and the plates being connected by tie rods 18 and being supported upon the'cross pieces 11. The plates preferably project on the side of the machine nearest the receiving end toward the feeding-conveyor, and the latterhas its nearest roller 15 spaced agreater distance from the main portion of the machine than the nearest roller 15 of the discharge conveyor.

It is apparent that the machine may be driven in any-suitable manner, but 1n this instance an electrical motor 19 is supported on the table 10 and has a pinion 20 on the shaft thereof meshing with a gear 21 on the main drive shaft 22 of the machine, said drive shaft being journalled 'in the side pieces 7 and Sand having the different'mech anism of the machine operated therefrom.

The cans to beclosed or sealed are preferably arranged in boxes or receptacles 22 in which they are to be shipped and are moved on the intake conveyor in any suitable manner, in this instance by hand, until they come to rest on the extended portions of the support on which they are positioned when the cans are-sealed.

, With the-end in viewof feeding the receptacles 22 automatically to a substantially centered position where the cans can be effectively sealed or closed, a feeding mechanism may be employed which carries the receptacle 22 off the extended portion of the support onto that portion directly beneath the sealing or closure applying-and securing means to be hereinafter described. This feeding mechanism in this instance comprises two arms23, secured pivotally to feed any known construction.

last roller 15 of the feeding conveyor and the extended portion of the support, and on opposite sides of the arms 23, two pairs of short rollers 25 are mounted, the shafts of these rollers being journalled at their outer ends inthe side pieces 12 and at their "inner ends in plates 26 which are bolted at 27 to the outer plates 17 ofthe support. It is thus apparent that the cases or receptacles 2 2 which are substantially as wide as the distance between the side plates 12, will pass over the arms 23 without engaging the same and after the last portion of the case or receptacle 22 passes 05 the last small roller 25, the case 22 will drop on the extended portion of the support in advance of'the for ward ends of the arms 23 so that said arms can be utilized for feeding the cans or receptacles 22 to thatposition on the support where the sealing mechanism can operate thereon. With the end in view of operating the arms 23 to feed the cases or receptacles 22, the heads 24 may be supported on a slide frame comprising, in this instance, two slide rods 28 arranged in parallel relation and guided in the angleirons 11, their other ends beinglocated on the opposite sides of the machine beneath the discharge conveyor and being connected by a cross piece 29 that has 3 wheels 30 at opposite ends guided on tracks 31 supported at their inner ends by one of the cross pieces 11 and at their outer ends by brackets 32 depending from the'sides 12 of the-discharge conveyor, these tracks also acting as braces for such discharge conveyor.

The operation-of the feeding-slide may be effected in any suitable manner. In this instance the cross piece 29 is engaged by the slotted ends of two arms 33 of a yoked lever which has its lower end rigidly secured to a rock shaft 34', this rock shaft also having an arm'35 which has a pitman 36 pivoted to'it at 37. The other end ofthis pitman carries a guide yoke 38 and a laterally extending roller 39 which operates in a cam groove 40 formed in one face of a cam 41 keyed to ,a shaft 42 which is journalled inthe side frames 7 and 8 in parallel relation to the drive shaft 22, and is geared to said drive shaft through a pinion 43 on the drive shaft meshing with a pinion 14 mounted to turn loosel-y on the shaft 12, and adapted to be connected ;to'the latter through a one-revolution clutch 45 of The operation of this clutch is such that, when once thrown into connection bet-ween the gear 44: and the shaft 42, it maintains such connection until the gear 14 has made one complete revolution and then affects the disconnection between the gear 44 and theshaft 42.

With each operation of the one-revolution clutch 45, the feeding slide will be moved first inone direction to shift a case 22 from the extended portion of the support to a substantially centered position beneath the sealing or closure applying and securing thereafter, the feeding slide will carry the engaging portions 23 of the feeder back to their original positions illustrated in Fig. 5, so that another case may be moved by the feeding slide to the sealing position.

For effecting the operation of the onerevolution clutch any suitable means may be employed. In this instance, a tripping mechanism is brought into operation immediately that the case 22 is received upon the extended portion of the support. This is effected, in this instance, through atripping device in the form of a bell crank lever having one arm 46 normally held slightly above the plane of the extended portion of the support and below the plane of the receiving conveyor at a point between the receiving conveyor and the extended portion of the sup port so that as the case 22 drops from the receivingconveyor onto the support it engages this arm and moves the other arm 47 against the action of a spring 48 to shift the link 49 which connects with the one-revolumechanism to normal position after the feeding mechanism has shifted the case 22 out of engagement with the arm 46 of the tripping device.

The sealing or closure applying and securing mechanism, in this instance, is designed to seal or close at one time ten cans in each case and to this end has ten sealing orclosure applying and securing devices. These devices, in this instance, are mounted on a vertically movable head or cross piece 50 which has guides 51 at opposite ends guided on the opposed faces of the uprights 7 and 8 and having rods 52 depending therefrom and carrying guide yokes 53 at their lower ends guided upon and straddling the shaft 42 hereinbefore mentioned. This vertically movable frame which carries the sealing or closure applying and securing devices is preferably operated through 'rollers 54 on the yokes 53 operating in the cam grooves 55 formed on the outer faces of cams 56 mounted on'the shaft 42. It is thus apparent that each revolution of the shaft 42 through the one-revolution clutch 45 effects neath the sealing devices there is provided.

Of course, the lowering,

a centering or positioning means. In this instance this centering or positioning means is in the form of a plate 57 which is yieldingly carried by the head 50. This plate has i a number of openings 58 therein corresponding to the number of cans or containers to be sealed and having a diameter slightly larger than the exterior diameter of the spouts 3 of the containers, the openings being spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the distance between the spouts of ten cans or containers when arranged within the case 22 in the manner shown in the drawings. f

The plate 57 has its underside provided with tapered portions 59, one leading to each opening 58 so that after the centering means moves toward the ten spouts within a case 22, these tapered portions will cooperate with the ends of the spouts and direct themto the openings 58, the spouts being passed en tirely through the centering openings so that their upper ends are arranged for operation upon by the sealing or closure applying and securing devices. Preferably, the centering means is yieldingly supported from the head 50 and moves in advance of the latter to e11- gage and position the containers before the tion'clutch 45 and effects the operation of the 1 latter, the spring 48 returning the tripping stance, the centering plate 57 carries, guide rods 60 which are guided in the .head 50 and are surrounded by helical springs 61 arranged between the head and theplate 57. Each sealing or closure applying andsecur ing device embodies, in this instance, a tubular expanding tool 62 havingits upper end passed through the head 50 and held thereto by a nut 63 engaging the top of the head, a shoulder 64 on the tubular expanding tool below the head cooperating with the underside of-the latter. This tubular expanding tool is slitted at 65 to provide for the expansionof the tool and the lower end of the tool is formed with a shoulder 66 for cooperating with the flange 2 of the sealing closure and also has below said shoulderr66, an annular rib 67 arrangedin spaced relation to the shoulder to provide between the rib and the shoulder an annular groove 6. Each expanding tool may be magnetized so as to hold the sealing closure thereto or the annular rib 67 may have such a. diameter that it will tightly orv'fric tionally fit the interior walls of the sealing closure before the lat ter is expanded or while it is in the condition shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. After the sealing closure is fitted to the end of an expanding tool and the head 50 carries the closure into a spout of a can or container, the

, tool isexpandcd so as to cause the closure to p be bent or distorted as shown in Fig. 11 to interlock with the flange 5 of the spout or container.

. The expansion of each tool may be-efiected: in any suitable manner. In this instance within the hollow expanding tool 62 is arranged a plunger 68 the lower end of which is bevelled at 69 to cooperate with a tapered internal bore or surface 70 at the lower end of the expanding tool 62. Movement of this plunger 68 is so timed with relation to the other mechanisms of the machine that it operates after the expanding tool has carried the sealing closure into the spout of the contamer. This movement is effected in any suitable manner. In this instance a screw 70 is adjustable in the upper end of this plunger 08 and has a head 71 provided with a pocket 72 in which is received the free end of. an operating ClOg 73 which is v pivoted at 74 to an arm 75 extending laterally from a shaft 76. Two of these shafts 76 are preferably provided and each, in this instance, has live arms with live operating dogs 73pivoted thereto so that through the two shafts all of the plungers 68 may be operated. The two. shafts are preferably geared together through gear segments 77 while one of them is provided with an arm 7 8 which at 7 9 is pivotally connected to a plunger 80, this plunger being vertically arranged and extending downwardly through a guide 81 on the side of one of the side rails 12, itsflower end being positioned above a tappet lever 82 which is pivoted at 83 to 7 73 to depress the plungers 68 to expand the expanding tools. A spring 86 anchored at one end to the frame of the machine and securedat the other end to the pivot 79 of the plunger tends normally to hold the plunger 80 in its lower position on the head '50against an adjustable stop 80-. It is apparent that the operating dogs with the arms formtoggles which are straightened when the tappet lever82 moves the plunger upwardly and break under the action of the spring 86 when the head 50 carries the plunger upwardly with it after the sealing closures have been interlocked with the nozzles of the cans. The adjustable screws 70 makeit possible to vary the movement of the plungers 68 under the action of the aforesaid toggles so that the amount of expansion ofthe expanding tool may be controlled. justment of the friction of'the expanding tools on the sealing closures so that the expanding or sealing tools may be utilized for holding the sealing closures to them while they aremoving toward the nozzles of the These screws also permit the ad cans or containers. The expanding tools may also be magnetized to still further insure the holding of the sealing closure thereto.

Any suitable means may be employed for feeding the sealing closures to registered positions where they may be engaged by the expanding tools. In this instance, the sealing closures are dumped indiscriminately. into a hopper 87 arranged above the movable head 50 and separated therefrom by'a panti'tion 88 having curved portions on opposite sides of the head 50. -To one side of each of these curved portions the reversely inclined bottom 89 of the hopper is formed with a plurality of parallel grooves 90 which have a cross section similar to a diametric cross section of a sealing closure l'so that sealing closures may be received in these grooves in an upright position in vwhichcase no portion thereof will lie above the surface of the bottom 89. If, however, the position of a sealing closure is irregular within a groove, then a portion thereof will project above the bottom surface. In this instance, ten of these grooves are provided, live on each side of the sealing mechanism and" each inclining downwardlytoward the applying. and securing mechanism. In order that only those sea-ling closures which are properly positioned within the groove may pass downwardlyby gravity within the grooves, there are provided two wipers each'of which wipes over one portion of the bottom 89 to displace any sealing closures which project from the grooves above the bottom 89. In this instance, each of these wiping devices embodies acdrum 91 having a shaft 92 and provided with tangentially extending flexible wiper plates 93. The shafts 92 of these twowipers each has a gear 9 1 thereon on the outside of the hopper and about these gears is passed a sprocket chain 95 which also passes about a. sprocket wheel 96 on the shaft 42. This. sprocket chain also passes about an idler pulley '97 which is adjustablysups ported by a bracket 98 in any suitable man nor in order to take up slack in the chain. 95. It is apparent that with each rotation of the shaft 42, the wipers will be operated towipe over the bottom surface of the hopper inorder to displace any sealing closures improperly placed in the grooves 90.

From the grooves 90 channel members 99 lead downwardly to two cross heads 100 which are rigidly supported on side plates 7 and 8. These channel members (see Fig. 10') are so formed that they each feed one at a time the sealing closures to a feeding plate 1 101. This feeding plate is guided at 102 on 1 the two cross pieces lOO between the two banks of guides 99 of five each. It is provided with openings 108 in line with guides 99 to receive sealing closures. The feeding plate 101 is then moved laterally so openings tools.

103 come directly beneath and aligned with the expander tools so that the latter in their first downward movement will engage with the sealing closures. The sealing closures are picked up by the expanders and held to same by friction 'or magnetism, this condition being continued while the closures are being carried to and introduced into the spouts of the containers, and are then raised to the top position of expander head to allow the feeding plate 101 to slide or return to its original position so holes 103 are positioned directly beneath and aligned with the expander tools. The diameter of the holes 103 are larger than the flange 2 of the sealing closure, and as a consequence, the sealing closures will pass through the holes 103 on the second downward movement of the expander tools and be introduced into the spout 3 of the cans or containers 4, the spouts of the latter having previously been centered through the engagement of the centering plate 57, moving in advance of the expanding tools, and this connection is maintained until the expanding tool is operated to interlock the closure to the spout of the container. After this interlocking the weight of the container acting on the sealing closure holds the latter so that the expanding'tool after being contracted due to the movement of the plunger 68 upwardly, may pass out of connection with'the closure. The feed plate101 may be moved in any suitable man- 7 summarized as follows:

The sealing closures are dumped indiscriminately into the hopper 87 and pass from the latter through the grooves 90 in the bottom of the hopper to the channels 99, which conduct them to the feeding plate 101.

The expander head descends and picks up the sealing closures and rises to allow feeding plate to move laterally to bring holes 103 in alignment with expander tools 62, which will enable the expander tools to pass through holes 103 and introduce sealing closures into spouts of cansor containers, the

spouts having been previously centered contracted and withdrawn from the closures. The cases 22 carrying a number of cans or containers are moved by gravity down the intake feeding conveyor or runway, and drop from the latter on to the projected por tion of the support beneath the expander tools. As each case 22 drops from the feeding'or'intake conveyor to the support, itengages the trip 46 and thus establishes connection between the drive shaft l2and the feeding mechanism for the case, causing the arms 23 to engage that case, cooperating with a tripping mechanism and shift such case so its containers are substantially in centered position beneath the expanding tools. The case moved by the feeding mechanism shifts in the case of containers, previously sealed or closed, onto the discharge conveyor from the support beneath the expander tools. About the time a case 22 is shifted, the feed plate 101 is shifted to align the closures in the feed plate with the expander tools, permitting the latter to operate as hereinbefore mentioned. All mechanisms, however, are controlled through the one-revolution clutch by means of the trip 46 so the machine operates through the drop ping of a case 22 thereon from the intake or feeding conveyor.

What I'claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine of the class described comprislng a support for a container, a conveyor leading to said support, a feeder for moving a container on the support to a registered position thereon, a drive shaft having driving connection with said feeder provided with a clutch in said driving connection, and a trip arranged to be engaged by acontainer as it moves onto the'support from the conveyor to establish driving connection between'the driving shaft and the feeder, causing the latter to move the container on the support to the registered position.

I '2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a support for a container, of a conveyor for conveying containers to the support having its supporting surface arranged in a higher horizontal plane than the support, a reciprocating feeder having a portion for engaging'the containers on the may drop onto the support in front of the engaging portion so that the container is in Y position in advance of the engaging portion through the engagement of the centering" plate 57 moving in advance of the expander Thereafter the expanding tools are expandedthrough plungers 68 and are then" plane than the support, a feeder slidably mounted below the support and having an engaging portion for engaging the container on the support to move the latter thereon, said portion'lying when in its initial position in a plane above the support and in ad- Vance, of the rear end of the conveyor and below the supporting plane thereof;

4:. In amachine ofthe class described, the combination of a support for the container, of a roller conveyor havingat its supporting surface arranged in a higher horizontal plane thanthesupport and having'at its end adjacent the support small rollers spaced apart, and a. reciprocatory. feeder having a portion for. engaging the containers on the support to move the latter thereon, said portion when in its initial position lying ina horizontal plane above the support and below the supporting plane of the roller, conveyor'and also in the space between the small rollers.

5. A machine of the class described comprising a support for a'container, a conveysure applying andsecuring devices-movable I toward and from said'containers on the support, and a resiliently supported plate movable towardthe support with said closure applying and securinggdevices in'advance of the latter but relatively-yieldable thereto, said plate having; a: plurality of openings through which portions of'thercontainersq-on the support areadapted to be passed in 'order to be centered with reference to said do sures applying and securing devices.

7. The combination with an. expanding head and an operating plunger for the head, movable in the latter,- of'a screw adjustably connected with saidplunger, a shaft, means for oscillating the shaft, an arm carried-by the shaft, and an operating pawl pivoted to the arm and engaging said-screw.

I 8., The combination-with a supportfor a container, of a head movable toward and from said support, mechanism for effecting such movement of said head, an expanding tool carried by the head, a plunger for operating said exp andingtool, mechanism operating with the head moving mechanism, and mechanism for operatlng the plunger em bodying two parts, one of which is operated by the mechanism which moves the head, and the-ot-herof which is carried bythe head and is moved into and out ofconnection with the first mentioned part of said mech anism when the head is moved toward and from the support for the: container.

9. The-combination witha=conta-iner support, and ahead arranged abovesaidcontainer support, and movable, toward and from the latter, of a shaft arranged under said container, driving connection between 10. The combination withasupport fora 7' container, an expanding tool, means for effectingjthe movement between the expand-- ing tool and the support for bringing-the tool into cooperation'with the container' on the-support, and a plunger for expanding said tool, of mechanism for operating-said plunger embodying movable parts carried with the eXpanding-tool and movable parts carried with the support, the movable parts carried with the expanding tool andthose carried with the support being out o-f' connection when the support and the expanding tool are separated and being in connection when'the expanding tool is incooperation with the container on the support.

11. A feeding-hopper having an inclined bottom wall formed'with a groove shaped to conform to the-article tobe fed, anda wiper operable over said bottom wall. in a direction opposite'to the direction in which the articles travel down theinclined'g-roove so .as towipe from the groove any articles improperly positioned therein.

12. A feeding shopper having an. inclined bottom wall provided with a grooveshaped to conform to the article to be fed from the hopper, through which the articles travel from the hopper in a definite position, and a rotary wiper having'flexible plates movable over the groove in thebottomof-tlie hopper in a direction opposite to that in WhlCl'l'itl'le articles travel down the groove.

13. The combination: with a support fora container, anda closure expanding tool movable in a straightline toward and from the container support, of a feeding memberhav- -ing an opening through which the expanding tool may be passed, and movable transversely of the line ofmovement of said 1 expandingtool to bring the openingtherein into and out of alignment with the line of movement of the expanding tool, and means for feeding'a vclosure to the opening ofthe feeding member whenpsaid opening is out or line with the expanding tool :in order that the closure can be carried-by the said mem her into alignment with the expandingitool so that the latter may engage the closure to carry the same towards the container on the support, and means for operating the expanding tool to interlock such closure with the container.

14:. The combination with a support for a container and a closure expanding tool movable in a straight line toward and'from the container support of a centering member having an opening through which a portion of a container on the support may be passed for the purpose of centering the container portion on the support with reference to said expanding tool, said centering member being resiliently supported and moved with but in advance of the expanding tool so that the container portion is centered before the tool cooperates therewith.

15. The combination with a support for a container and a closure expanding tool movable in a straight line toward and from the container support, of a centering member having an opening through which a portion of a container on the support may be passed for the purpose of centering the container portion on the support with reference to said expanding tool, said centering member being resiliently supported and moved with but in advance of the expanding tool so that the container portion is centered before the tool cooperates therewith, and a feeding element having an opening therein over which the closure is adapted to be supported and through which the closure is forced by the expanding tool in order to carry said closure into cooperation with the container portion centered by the centering device, said feeding member being movable transversely in the line of the movement of the closure expanding tool so that it may receive a closure in its opening while the latter is out of line with the expanding tool.

CHARLES E. MARTIN. 

